To make the soup:
1. Mix the peaches, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and honey in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, till the fruit is very soft.
2. Purée the entire contents in a blender, skins and all. Stir in the yoghurt. Stir in the balsamic vinegar.
3. Then add a light sprinkle of cayenne & then taste. Keep adding the cayenne until you get the desired kick. :)

4. If you plan to serve it cold, chill in the refrigerator for several hours.
When ready to serve, add more orange juice, if you like, to achieve your preferred consistency. Swirl a spoonful of yogurt into each portion as a garnish.

To make the soup:
In a heavy saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat.
Cook shallots, garlic, and jalapenos until soft, about 6 minutes.
Stir in remaining ingredients except stock and simmer 10 minutes.
Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
Run through a blender. Season to taste with hot sauce.
Add toppings!

Extraordinary as a first course, and pure vegetarian. Visually arresting with those white beans and red bits of pepper and tomato recumbent in a dark brown broth--tart, creamy, and smoky, fragrant with cumin and mustard and, if you can find it, a dash of asafoetida. And all that tamarind--totally stimulating to the palate.

To make the soup:
1. Soak the beans for several hours or overnight in lots of water. Drain and rinse.
Put into a heavy pot with the ginger, chilies, tomato, turmeric, salt, and water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, seal with aluminum foil, and top with the lid.
Let cook for an hour or two.

2. While the soup is cooking, roast the red pepper under the broiler, turning to char the skin on every side.
Place in a plastic bag and let the skin steam off for 5-10 minutes.
Remove from the bag, peel away the skin, and reserve.

3. When ready to finish the soup, unseal the soup pot and check that the beans are tender.
Cut the roasted pepper into cubes and add to the soup.

4. Then Heat the oil in a wok or small saucepan over medium high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and cover the pot while they sizzle.Turn the heat to low and stir in the curry leaves, the chickpea flour, the paprika, and the asafoetida.

Stir for a minute or two, then whisk in the cup of water and stir into the rest of the soup.
Stir in the tamarind, tasting to get the right amount of sourness.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes or more.

5. Ladle into small bowls and serve immediately.

**the noted ingredients are essential to this soup and are most easily found in an ethnic Indian grocer. If you are in Pittsburgh, there is a very helpful store on Craig Street beside Luca Restaurant. Kohli's Indian Imports - 319 S Craig St, Pittsburgh, 15213 - (412) 621-1800

To make Tomato Soup:1. Sautee shallots, garlic, and peppers in oil over low heat until translucent.2. Stir in remaining ingredients except stock and simmer for 10 minutes.3. Add vegetable stock and increase heat to medium. Bring to a boil. Then simmer for about 20 minutes.4. Puree the soup with an immersion blender then strain through a colander.

To make the tortilla strips:1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.2. Cut the tortillas into 3/4 inch strips with a pair of scissors. Lay them on a baking sheet and top with shredded cheddar cheese.3. Bake until the cheese is melted. Allow to cool.

To serve:1. Place a few of the tortilla strips in the bottom of a bowl. Ladle the soup over the strips. Top with a squirt of lime juice.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

We had a great time at the 2005 big Soup Party. 135 people, $480 raised for the GPCFB. We did not kick any of the pots of soup this year, but there was not much left of any of them. There was not a consensus on the best soup of the evening. The crowd was divided evenly between all 4 soups. The fire pit on the back deck and the singing around the piano were highlights of the evening. Jeff Freedman won most original bowl with his hand carved log of maple bowl with matching spoon, Glenn Greene won a prize for the largest spoon used, Laura and Casey Sokol drove down from Toronto, Canada and received the award for the furthest distance traveled and we gave an honorable mention to Jackie Goldblume for her wonderful reindeer-pig bowl.

The big SOUP party is our yearly excuse to call up our friends, break bread, and share some big SOUP for an evening. Started in 1993, it has remained one of our favorite events of the year. We have been blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives. The big Soup party is a way to keep in touch, have some fun, eat a lot of great food, and celebrate SOUP as the most perfect of culinary inventions.

The event starts at 6:30 PM and we serve SOUP late into the night. Come at any time. Please bring a bowl, a spoon, and a friend. Awards are given at 9:30 for the biggest spoon used, most original bowl, and furthest distance traveled. Be forewarned, competition for these coveted prizes is fierce. Plan early if you wish to compete!

Share the soup...There is a charity component to the big Soup party. We have enjoyed a tremendous amount of food over the past decade of soup parties and it is important to give something back. We will be making a monetary donation to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank on behalf of the big Soup party. There will be a large soup bowl on the main table to collect cash and checks made payable to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank (GPCFB). Or join our cause at http://www.causes.com/causes/566988-bigsoup

There is absolutely no charge to attend the big Soup party and no one should feel required to make a donation via our big bowl. We would like to encourage everyone to consider the tremendous wealth that we all live in and give serious thought to making a donation to help those less fortunate. We will give the collective donation to the GPCFB on Monday December 6th and we will post the total amount raised here on bigsoup.org.